Vehicle-body.



H; G. MARTELL.

VEHICLE BODY.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 25, 1911.

1,033,334. I Patented July 23, 1912.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT C. MARTELL, OF FLINT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO DURANT-DORT CARRIAGE COMPANY, OF FLINT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

VEHICLE-B ODY.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT C. MARTELL, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Flint, in the county of Genesee and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Bodies, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to vehicle body constructions, and more particularly to the type commonly designated as piano -box body.

It is the object of the invention to obtain a construction having an improved appearance and greater strength and one which may be more cheaply manufactured.

To this end, the invention consists in the construction as hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings,Figure 1 is a perspective View of the body showing a portion of the outside panel covering broken away or removed to show the inside construction; F 2 is a horizontal section therethrough.

In the construction of vehicle bodies of the type above referred to, it is usual to provide a bottom A having side and end sills B C and upwardly extending sides and ends which are secured to said sills and are united to each other at the corners. These corners form a weak point in the construction and require reinforcement, such for instance as metallic corner irons or other devices, which add to the expense and cletract from the appearance of the structure. With my improved construction the necessity of such reinforcement at the corners is avoided by employing a bent strip forming the adjacent portions of the ends and sides with a rounded connecting corner. To form all of the sides and ends of a single strip would require such a length of material and such changes in construction as to greatly increase the cost, and I therefore employ separate strips for forming the front and rear ends and adjacent side port-ions of the body, which strips are joined to each other by overlapping at or near the center of the sides.

As shown D is the strip for forming the front of the body, which is bent to form the rounded corners E, and has the rearwardly extending portions F.

G is a strip forming the rear end of the body bent to form the rounded corners I-I Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 25, 1911.

Patented July 23, 1912.

Serial No. 646,019.

and the forwardly-extending portions I, which latter overlap the portions F. The overlapping portion J is preferably extended to form a reinforced seat-supporting portion, at the opposite ends of which seat posts K are secured. These extend upward above the sides, and are connected by cross bars L, or finished in any suitable manner.

The construction thus far described is one in which the sides are reinforced at the point of greatest stress, and thus the strength of the body is increased. At the same time, a more ornamental appearance is produced by the integral sides and ends having the rounded corners.

The joint between the overlapping and underlapping portions may if desired be sealed by a molding M which extends up the adjacent post and has the appearance of being integral therewith.

IVhat I claim as my invention is,

1. In a vehicle body, front and rear side portions overlapping each other to form a central reinforcement, and seat posts secured to and extending upward from the opposite ends of saidreinforcement.

2. In a vehicle body, front and rear side portions overlapping each other to form a central reinforcement, seat posts secured inside of said reinforcement at the opposite ends thereof, and a bead or molding arranged at the end of the outside lap adjacent to one of said posts and concealing the joint.

3. In a vehicle body, front and rear ends and side portions integral with their adjacent ends, said side portions overlapping each other to form a central reinforcement, and seat posts secured at substantially the opposite ends of said reinforcement.

4. In a vehicle body, sides" and ends formed of strips bent into U-shaped form, the ends of the Us forming the body sides being overlapped a considerable distance, and rigidly secured together to provide a reinforcement, and seat posts secured to said reinforced portions.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HERBERT C. MARTELL.

Witnesses:

D. M. AVERiLL, J. T. WILSON.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, I). G. 

